Storage rack for electronic components

ABSTRACT

A storage rack for electronic components that includes a front rectangular upright component and a rear upright component which are removably mounted on a pair of supporting feet. Each foot has a rear portion and a forward portion. The rear portion has a rear vertical post and a forwardly facing extender that has a plurality of threaded holes. The forward portion has a forward vertical post and a rearwardly facing socket for receiving the extender in telescoping fashion. Each of the front and rear upright components has a pair of vertical rails fixed to upper and lower cross bars. Each vertical rail has a plurality of threaded apertures for enabling electronic components to be fastened to the rails and an aperture at the bottom end of the rail for receiving one of the vertical posts. The upper ends of the front and rear upright components is stabilized by adjustable braces which are removably attachable to the sides of the front and rear vertical components.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of prior U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/256,899 filed Dec. 19. 2000 and Application No. 60/256.815 filed Dec. 19. 2000; which are hereby incorporated by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] This invention has been created without the sponsorship or funding of any federally sponsored research or development program.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] This present invention is directed to a supporting apparatus for holding and storing a large number of electronic components of the type generally referred to as “rack mounted”. These electronic components which typically include computers, network servers, electronic network components, such as routers, bridges, switches and hubs, and computer storage devices, are generally configured so that numerous of the components can be stored in a common storage system. The electronic components have flanges extending to the right and left of the front face of the component so that the component can be bolted to the supporting apparatus to locate the device in the component within the supporting apparatus.

[0004] A typical supporting apparatus for holding and storing electronic components is a vertically extending rectangular frame into which the individual electronic components can be bolted. The frame is supported by two horizontal feet which extends forward and rearward of the frame.

[0005] A variation of the basic frame for supporting and storing electronic components is referred to in the trade as a “double-sided component rack”. In the storage rack version of the storage frame, a second rectangular frame component is positioned parallel to and rearwardly of the first frame. This enables the back ends of the electronic components to be held in position to provide a more stable system for storing the components. Also, the rear frame is adjustable relative to the front frame to selectively change the distance between the two frame components.

[0006] The traditional form of supporting apparatus for holding electronic components was designed to minimize the cost of shipping in the so-called “knocked down” condition, that is, the supporting apparatus was manufactured in a totally disassembled state, shipped to the site of use, and then assembled on the site. The reasonableness of the traditional designs for the supporting apparatus, which were primarily “bolt-together” designs, was that the cost of shipping was relatively high, and the availability of low cost assembly personnel at the installation site was assumed and typical. Furthermore, the dynamics of the installation process and facilities were such that the time required to construct the storage systems at the installation site did not interfere with other scheduling.

[0007] One of the things that has happened in recent times in connection with the market for electronic component storage is that the market has become dominated by large component facilities which typically represent the computer equipment facility for a large computer network, or sometimes represent worldwide global network servers for providing web page service. Another major application is large computer data storage warehouses which are facilities filled with electronic computer storage devices which can be accessed using networks. These type of facilities typically involve huge numbers of electronic components all of which have to be appropriately supported and wired together. The process of assembling the supporting apparatus and securing the electronic components typically involves relatively highly paid technicians who are primarily involved in the installation of the electronic computer network equipment and are, therefore, relatively expensive sources of assembly labor. Furthermore, the time table for installing these types of facilities is often very short and the time taken to conduct bolt-together assemblies is sometimes a serious problem. In addition, the clearance in the untapped or unthreaded holes for the bolts very often causes the frame to be out of square when the supporting apparatus is assembled.

[0008] These and other difficulties experienced in the prior art supporting apparatus for holding and storing electronic components have been obviated by the invention.

[0009] It is, therefore, a primary object of the invention to provide a storage rack for holding and storing electronic component which can be shipped in a relatively low volume condition, but which can be very easily and quickly assembled at the assembly site.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In general, the invention consists of a storage rack for electronic components that includes a front rectangular upright component and a rear upright component which are removably mounted on a pair of supporting feet. More specifically, each foot has a rear portion and a forward portion. The rear portion has a rear vertical post and a forwardly facing extender that has a plurality of threaded holes. The forward portion has a forward vertical post and a rearwardly facing socket for receiving the extender in telescoping fashion. Each of the front and rear upright components has a pair of vertical rails fixed to upper and lower cross bars. Each vertical rail has a plurality of threaded apertures for enabling electronic components to be fastened to the rails and an aperture at the bottom end of the rail for receiving one of the vertical posts. The upper ends of the front and rear upright components is stabilized by adjustable braces which are removably attachable to the sides of the front and rear vertical components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The character of the invention, however, may be best understood by reference to one of its structural forms, as illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

[0012]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a storage rack for electronic components embodying the principles of the present invention;

[0013]FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of one of the upright components of the storage rack;

[0014]FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the upright component of FIG. 2;

[0015]FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of the right hand end of FIG. 3 on an enlarged scale;

[0016]FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the forward portion of the left hand foot component of the storage rack;

[0017]FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the left hand forward portion;

[0018]FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the left hand forward portion looking in the direction of arrow 7 of FIG. 6;

[0019]FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the forward portion of the right hand foot component of the storage rack;

[0020]FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of the right hand forward portion;

[0021]FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of the right hand forward portion, looking in the direction of arrow 10;

[0022]FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the rearward portion of the left hand foot component;

[0023]FIG. 12. is a front elevational view of the left hand rearward portion;

[0024]FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of the left hand rearward portion, looking in the direction of arrow 13 of FIG. 12;

[0025]FIG. 14 is a top plan view of the rearward portion of the right hand foot component;

[0026]FIG. 15 is a front elevational view of the right hand rearward portion;

[0027]FIG. 16 is a side elevational view of the right hand rearward portion, looking in the direction of arrow 16 of FIG. 15; and

[0028]FIG. 17 is a side elevational view of one of the brace components of the storage rack.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Referring to the drawings, the storage rack of the present invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 and comprises a rectangular front vertical component or frame, generally indicated by the reference numeral 12, a rectangular rear vertical component, generally indicated by the reference numeral 14, a pair of braces, generally indicated by the reference numeral 50, and a pair of supporting feet, generally indicated by the reference numerals 15 and 16. The vertical components 12 and 14 are identical so that only one of the components is shown in FIGS. 2-4.

[0030] Each of the front and rear vertical components 12 and 14 comprises a pair of vertical C-channel rails 18 fixed at their upper ends, i.e. by welding, to an upper cross bar 20 and fixed at their lower ends, i.e. by welding, to a lower cross bar 22. Each of the vertical rails 18 has a plurality of forwardly facing surface apertures 23 for enabling electronic components to be connected to the rails so that the electronic components can extend between the rails.

[0031] The lower cross member 22 for each vertical component 12 and 14 is positioned within the rails 18 as shown in FIG. 4 to form a rectangular socket 27 at the bottom of each rail.

[0032] Each support foot 15 and 16 has a rearward portion, generally indicated by the reference numeral 24, and a forward portion, generally indicated by the reference numeral 26.

[0033] Referring particularly to FIGS. 5-10, the forward portion 26 of each foot 15 and 16 consists of a tubular horizontal bar 29 and a vertical post 34. Each side wall of the bar 29 has an aperture 36. The top wall of the bar 29 has a vertical aperture 33 at each end of the bar and a vertical aperture 35 at a shortened bottom wall portion 41 of the bar. The post 34 has a horizontal aperture 37.

[0034] Referring particularly to FIGS. 11-16, each rearward portion 24 consists of a tubular horizontal bar 38 which has welded thereto a forwardly extending tubular extender 30. A vertical post 28 is welded to the rearward part of bar 38. The post 28 has a horizontal aperture 40. The extender 30 has a plurality of horizontal apertures 32.

[0035] The upper wall of the bar 38 has a vertical aperture 39 and a vertical aperture 42 at a shortened bottom wall portion 43 of the bar.

[0036] Each brace 50 consists of a pair of elongated flat bars 52, one of which is shown in FIG. 17. Each bar 52 has a plurality of apertures 54.

[0037] The apertures 39 and 42 as well as the apertures 33 and 35 enable castors to be applied to the supporting feet. If desired, the apertures 39 and 42 and 33 and 35 enable the supporting feet to be fixed, by means of fasteners, to a platform or other supporting base.

[0038] After the feet 15 and 16 have been assembled, the front vertical posts 34 are inserted into the sockets 27 of the vertical rails 18 of the front vertical component 12. The vertical posts 28 of the rearward bars 24 inserted into the socket 27 of the rear vertical component 14. One end of one of the braces 50 is positioned on the outside wall of each of the rails 18 so that one of the apertures 54 is horizontally aligned with an aperture at the upper end of the rail 18 and secured thereto by a nut and a bolt. At each side of the rack 10 a bar 50 from the forward vertical component 12 is overlapped with a bar 52 from the rearward vertical component 14 so that the holes 54 of one bar 52 are aligned with the holes 54 of the other brace 50. The overlapping bars 52 or each brace 50 are secured to each other by at least two bolts.

[0039] All of the modular components of the storage frame 10 can be enclosed in a relatively small container for shipment to a customers site. The components of the storage rack can be assembled by first assembly the support feet 15 and 16. Each foot 15 and 16 is assembled by inserting the forwardly facing extender 30 into the open rearwardly facing ends of the bars 29 so that one of the apertures 32 is horizontally aligned with the aperture 36 at the rearward end of the forward portion 26. The rearward portion 24 is secured to the forward portion 26 by extending a bolt through the aperture 32 which is aligned with the aperture 36 and applying a nut thereto. Now that the rack 10 has been assembled, electrical components can be attached to the rack by utilizing the apertures 23 in a conventional manner.

[0040] This enables the vertical components 12 and 14 to be fully supported on the foot components 15 and 16 without the need of fasteners. The apertures 25 of the rails 18 are horizontally aligned with the apertures 37 of the posts 37 and apertures 40 of the posts 28, thereby enabling the upright components 12 to be bolted to the posts 18, if desired. 

What is claimed:
 1. A rack for storing electronic components comprising: (a) a rectangular front frame having a vertical left front rail, a vertical right front rail, an upper cross bar and a lower cross bar, each of said front rails having an upper end and a lower end; (b) a rectangular rear frame spaced from said front frame, said rectangular rear frame having vertical left rear rail, a vertical right rear rail, an upper cross bar and a lower cross bar, each of said rear rails having an upper end and a lower end; (c) a horizontal left brace connected to said left front rail and to said left rear rail, said left brace being adjustable in length; (d) a horizontal right brace connected to said right front rail and to said right rear rail, said right brace being adjustable in length; (e) a horizontal left supporting foot connected to the lower ends of said left front rail and said left rear rail, said left supporting foot being adjustable in length; and (f) a horizontal right supporting foot connected to the lower ends of said right front rail and said right rear rail, said right supporting foot being adjustable in length.
 2. A rack as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said vertical rails has a plurality of apertures.
 3. A rack as recited in claim 2, wherein all of said apertures face forwardly.
 4. A rack as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said left brace and said right brace comprises: (a) a forward bar having a forward end connected to a corresponding one of said front rails and a free rearward end, said forward bar having a plurality of apertures; (b) a rearward bar having a rearward end fixedly connected to a corresponding one of said front rails and a free forward end that overlaps the rearward end of said forward bar, said rearward bar having a plurality of horizontal apertures which are adapted to be horizontally aligned with the apertures of said forward bar; and (c) at least one fastener for extending through aligned apertures of said forward and rearward bars and securing said forward bar to said rearward bar.
 5. A rack as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said left supporting foot and said right supporting foot comprises: (a) a forward portion having a forward end connected to a corresponding one of said front rails and a free rearward portion; and (b) a rearward portion having a rearward end connected to a corresponding one of said front rails and a free forward portion telescopingly connected to the rearward end of said forward portion.
 6. A rack as recited in claim 5, wherein the forward end of each of said forward portions has a vertical post which abuts and is connected to the corresponding one of said front rails.
 7. A rack as recited in claim 6, wherein each of said vertical posts has a horizontal aperture and each front rail has a horizontal aperture which are horizontally aligned with respective horizontal apertures of said vertical posts, said rack further comprising fasteners for extending through the aligned horizontal apertures of said vertical posts and said front rails for securing the front rails to said vertical posts.
 8. A rack as recited in claim 7, wherein each of said vertical posts has a rectangular cross section and the lower end of each of said front rails has a rectangular vertical socket groove for receiving a corresponding one of said vertical posts in a snug fit.
 9. A rack as recited in claim 5, wherein the rearward end of each of said rearward portions has a vertical post which abuts and is fixedly connected to the corresponding one of said rear rails.
 10. A rack as recited in claim 9, wherein each of said vertical posts has a horizontal aperture and each rear rail has a horizontal aperture which is horizontally aligned with a respective horizontal aperture of said vertical posts, said rack further comprising fasteners for extending through the aligned horizontal apertures of said vertical posts and said rear rails for securing the rear rails to said vertical posts.
 11. A rack as recited in claim 10, wherein each of said vertical posts has a rectangular cross section and each of said rear rails has a rectangular vertical socket for receiving a corresponding one of said vertical posts in a snug fit. 